A singer-songwriter from Saffron Walden who was called an 'emerging talent' at Glastonbury Festival, has donated the money from his first EPs to charities.

James White, who is now working on his third EP, has had a fascination with music since he was a child when he used it as a sanctuary from his own mental health problems.

With music becoming his solace while he dealt with these issues, he decided that he wanted to do something with his talents that would help other people

He said: "I think the first thing that inspired me was that when I was growing up I was quite troubled with mental health problems in my early teens."I found music to be a sanctuary from it. I wanted to do something with music so other people can find the kind of sanctuary in my music."

With this in mind, he began to write music about his own struggles with mental health when growing up. While he does some covers when performing, most of his music is his own.

His latest EP that will come out next year is based on what he has heard and experienced and the title, Citizens of Nowhere, is inspired by a Conservative party conference speech by Prime Minister Theresa May.

James began his musical career with comedy music, which he played for nine years until 2015, but now he is focusing on his own music about his own struggles, that has seen him recognised as an 'emerging talent' at Glastonbury Festival in 2017.

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While due to unforeseen circumstances he wasn't able to actually perform at the festival, he considers being recognised as an emerging talent as a huge honour.

Musician James White on stage (Image: Mart's Arts Photography)

He said: "It is a real honour and it's such a special festival, it is the festival of festivals. It was an amazing honour and even now my name still comes up on the website as an emerging talent.

"For a lad like me who grew up in Saffron Walden this is a dream come true for me."

While his main aims for next year are finishing off his third EP and continuing to fundraise for refugee charities, he is still planning to perform in and around Saffron Walden and other places in Europe.